USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, its people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 40
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married Mary Jane Osborn, of Urbana township. Later, Mr. Garard bought a farm just south of the town of Urbana and farmed there about five years, then went to Fond-du-Lac county, Wisconsin, where he remained about two years, returning to Champaign county in 1864, locating in Salem township. where he bought a farm where Mrs. Cogal now lives and stayed there five years, then bought the farm where T. I. Taylor now lives. He built a substantial home there in 1896 and improved the place in a general way. He later moved to Urbana, where his death occurred on April 9, 1905, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. His wife died in 1885 in Salem township. He was a Democrat and active in public affairs. He made the race for county com- missioner and was only defeated by a few votes. He also received the nom- ination of his party once for representative to the state Legislature. He belonged to the Presbyterian church. He also took a great deal of interest in the Champaign county annual fairs and hield various offices in the associa- tion. He did much to make the fairs here a success during his lifetime. He was well known throughout the county and highly esteemed by all who knew him.
Nine children were born to John R. Garard and wife, named as follow : Mrs. Nellie Armstrong, who died on May 30, 1917, lived in California : Martha is single and lives in Kingston, Ohio; Addie died in February, 1912; Irwin F., of this sketch; Warren H. lives in Urbana, Ohio; Mrs. Martha Miller lives in Findlay, this state; Sidney W. is engaged in mercantile busi- ness at Kingston, Ohio; Frank M. and Mary F. are twins; Frank M. lives in Nashville, Tennessee, is a lawyer by profession and now holds the office of assistant city attorney there; Mary F. is the wife of Aaron L. Covault, a train dispatcher for the Erie Railroad Company at Marion, Ohio.
Irwin F. Garard received his education in the public schools of the coun- try, also spent one term in school at Urbana. He and two sisters remained at home with their father until the latter's death. On April 4, 1911, he mar- ried Elizabeth Runyan, of Clark county, Ohio.
Mr. Garard was a member of the police force at Urbana, Ohio, for three and one-half years. He was also connected with the Urbana Ice Com- pany for a period of seven years and spent one year in the car shops there. He also worked one year at concrete bridge construction. On March 11, 1915, he located in Salem township, where he has since resided, owning a well-improved farm of eighty acres.
Mr. Garard is a Democrat and has been active in the affairs of his party for many years. He is at present serving in the office of trustee of Salem
L
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township. He at one time made a close race for the office of county com- missioner. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. His wife belongs to the Baptist church. For two years, 1897-1899, Mr. Garard was a guard at the Ohio state reformatory at Mansfield, Olio.
C. D. LOUDENBACK.
C. D. Loudenback, cashier for the Northwestern Light and Power Com- pany, of Urbana, is a native son of Champaign county and has lived here all his life, with the exception of the time spent in college and a few years spent in Arizona during the days of his young manhood. He was born at Westville, in Mad River township, son of Eugene F. and Martha (McCor- mick) Loudenback, both members of old families in this county, the latter of whom was a daughter of. Jeremiah McCormick, and both of whom died when their son, the subject of this sketch, was a child.
Eugene F. Loudenback also was born in Mad River township, son of David and Charlotte M. (Hebbard) Loudenback, who were among the most prominent of the carly settlers of that part of the county, David, better known as Squire Loudenback, having been one of the wealthiest and most influential men of his generation in Champaign county. Squire Loudenback was a Virginian by birth, born in Page county, in the Old Dominion, March 20, 1808, and was nine years of age when his parents, David and Susanna L. Loudenback, came with their family to Ohio and settled in Mad River town- ship, this county. It was on November 1, 1817. that the Loudenbacks arrived in this county and the family ever since has been prominently repre- sented here, other reference to this family being made elsewhere in various portions of this work. The elder David Loudenback and wife were the parents of eight children, five sons and three daughters, Benjamin, Ann, David, Rebecca, Emanuel. Barbara, John and Martin.
The junior David Loudenback, the Squire, grew up on the home farm in Mad River township, and on June 1, 1829, began teaching school there, his pay for such service being ten dollars a month, out of which sum he had to pay his board, and he taught for fourteen consecutive terms, meanwhile continuing engaged in farm work. He later began clerking in a store at Westville and was thus engaged for three years, during which time he became engaged as a money lender, or private banker, at the same time carrying on a general real-estate business, and he gradually extended his operations along
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this line until he presently came to be recognized as probably the wealthiest man in Champaign county and one of the wealthiest in this part of the state. At one time Squire Loudenback was the owner of twelve hundred acres of land, all of which he had under cultivation. He also was one of the chief stockholders in the old Third National Bank of Urbana, now the Urbana National Bank, and had other large interests hereabout. During his school teaching days he had been employed for some time as deputy county surveyor and there were few men who had as intimate and thorough an acquaintance with Champaign county as he. For ten years he also served as clerk of Mad River township and in 1842 he was elected justice of the peace in and for that township and by successive re-elections was retained in that magisterial office for thirty-six years, during which time never was one of his decisions reversed. The Squire also was for thirty years treasurer of his home town- ship and in other ways did much for the public service. He was ever in demand as an administrator of estates or as a guardian of minor wards and it is still said that there never has been in this county a man who was called on to administer as many estates or to act as guardian for as many children as was Squire Loudenback. From 1830 until the time of his death he was a member of the Universalist church and was largely instrumental in build- ing up the church of that denomination at Westville. He cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson for President and remained ever afterward a stalwart Democrat, for many years one of the leaders of that party in this part of the state.
Squire Loudenback was twice married. It was in 1838 that he was united in marriage to Charlotte M. Hebbard, member of one of Champaign county's pioneer families, and to that union were born nine children, Eugene F .. Hylas, Noah, Eliza, David, Henrietta, Charles G., Lucy A. and Devilla. The mother of these children died on June 26, 1857, and on July 22, 1858, the Squire married Mrs. Elizabeth A. (Custer) Smith, to which latter union were born three children, Rienzi, Rolla and Glendora. The eldest of these children, Eugene F. Loudenback, father of the subject of this sketch, com- pleted his schooling in Urbana University and afterward became associated with his father in the real estate and loan business, making his home at West- ville. He married Martha McCormick, daughter of Jeremiah McCormick and wife, pioneers of this county, and to that union were born three children. of whom the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. Eugene F. Loudenback continued in business with his father and was quite successful, but his promising business career was cut short by his early death. His widow did not long survive him.
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Bereft of his parents in his youth, C. D. Loudenback was reared by his grandfather, and upon completing the course in his home school, took a course in Miami University at Oxford, this state, during which period of study his health began to fail and he went to Arizona, seeking restoration in the equable climate of that region. When restored to his wonted health Mr. Loudenback returned to this county and was engaged here in looking after his land interests until in 1907, when he became connected with the Northwestern Light and Power Company of Urbana and was made cashier of the same, a position he ever since has held. Mr. Loudenback is a Denio- crat, as were his father and his grandfather before him, and has ever given a good citizen's attention to political affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office.
On May 17, 1897, C. D. Loudenback was united in marriage to Lulu B. Winchester, daughter of Clement Winchester and wife, and to this union has been born one child, a son, Richard. Mr. and Mrs. Loudenback are attendants at the Universalist church and take a proper interest in church work, as well as in the general social and cultural activities of their home town, and are helpful in promoting local good works. Mr. Loudenback is a member of the Springfield lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
MINOR CARTMELL.
Minor Cartmell, one of the best-known of the older residents of Urbana, an honored veteran of the Civil War and a retired cabinet-maker and wood- worker, is a native son of Ohio and has lived in this state all his life. He was born on a farm five miles west of West Jefferson, on the national road, in Madison county, August 18, 1845, a son of Joseph H. and Rebecca ( Bay- less) Cartmell, both of whom also were born in this state, the former in this county and the latter in the neighboring county of Madison.
Joseph H. Cartmell was born on a pioneer farm in Union township, this county, on October 23, 1809, son of John Cartmell and wife, the former of whom was one of four brothers who had come over here from Virginia about the year 1800 and had become pioneers of this county. John Cartmell set- tled in Union township and there he and his wife, Sophia Lanice, established their home, early becoming recognized as among the leading and most influ- ential pioneers of that section of the county. They were the parents of nine
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children, of whom Joseph H. was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow : Nathaniel, who became a well-established farmer in Union township; Sarah, who married John McManaway, an auctioneer of Clark county, Ohio; Nancy, who married David L. Tullis ; John, a farmer and mer- chant, who died at Marysville, in the neighboring county of Union; Isaiah, a farmer and stockman, of this county; Margaret, who married Seth Mahill, Thomas, a farmer of this county, who married Susanna Longbrake and dur- ing the period of the Civil War went to Illinois, where he spent the rest of his life, and William, who was a merchant at Marysville. Joseph H. Cart- mell grew to manhood on the paternal farm in Union township and after his marriage to Rebecca Bayless, he rented a farm in Madison county, Ohio, on the National pike for five years, then established his home on a farm of his own in that same township, becoming a well-to-do farmer and stockman, and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on May 8, 1879. he then being sixty-nine years of age. His widow survived him for four- teen years, her death occurring at the home of her son, Minor Cartmell, on May 4, 1893, she being born on January 7, 1815. Joseph H. Cartmell and wife were the parents of four sons, those besides the subject of this sketch, the second in order of birth, being Joseph B., who died of measles in June, 1863, while serving as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, he then being but twenty years of age; Sidney, who died in October, 1863, at the age of sixteen years, and Benjamin M., a farmer, now living at Columbus, Kansas.
Minor Cartmell grew up on the home farm in Union township and received his schooling in the neighborhood schools. On May 2, 1864, he then being eighteen years of age, he enlisted for service during the Civil War as a member of Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for the hundred-days service, and was mus- tered out on August 31 of that same year, returning home. On February 7. 1865, he re-enlisted as a member of Company E, One Hundred and Eighty- fifth Ohio, and with that command served until some months after the close of the war, receiving his final discharge on September 25, 1865. During the first period of his service Mr. Cartmell was located on the James river, near Richmond, and while there suffered a severe attack of measles, the same malady from which his elder brother had died in camp a year before. Upon going out with the One Hundred and Eighty-fifth he was stationed at Em- inence, Kentucky, doing guard duty, and on May 12, 1865, marched with his command from Lexington to take a position at Cumberland Gap, one hundred and thirty-seven miles distant. At that latter place he was sta-
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tioned until the middle of September, when the command marched back to Lexington and from there was returned to Columbus, where it was mus- tered out on September 25.
Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Cartmell returned home and began working as a cabinet-maker, later taking up carpenter work and wood turning and became a skilled workman along those lines, later opening a repair shop at Urbana, which he conducted until his retirement from business, since which time he has been "taking things easy" at his pleasant home in Urbana. Mr. Cartmell is an active member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and has for years taken an earnest interest in the affairs of that patriotic organization. As a member of one of the oldest families in Champaign county and a continuous resident of this county all his long and useful life, he is thoroughly familiar with the history of the county from pioneer days and his recollection of events previous to and during the war and of the later incidents which have gone to make up the history of the county is clear and illuminating.
Mr. Cartmell has been twice married. His first wife, who was Nancy Wilson, also a native of this county, died on May 9, 1908, and on September 15, 1910, Mr. Cartmell married Eleanor Hickman, of Columbus, Ohio, who- died on February 24, 1911. To his first union five children were born, two of whom, Clifton W. and Florence M., died in youth, the others being Eve- line, who lives in Urbana, widow of Pearl C. Todd; Clarence W., teller in the Champaign National Bank at Urbana, and Olive Lucile, who is at home with her father.
JOHN A. FOWHL.
The late John A. Fowhl, for years one of Urbana township's best- known and most substantial farmers, who died at his pleasant farm home in that township in the spring of 1912, was a native of the old Keystone state, but had been a resident of this county ever since the days of his young manhood. He was born in Pennsylvania on October 21, 1848, a son of Philip Fowhl and wife, farmers, who spent all their lives in that state.
Reared on the home farm in his native state, John A. Fowhl received his schooling in the schools of the neighborhood of his home and remained there until he was twenty-one years of age, when, in 1869, he came to this county and began working as a farm hand. He was active, energetic and enterprising and early began laying plans for buying a farm of his own
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and it was not long until he was the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Urbana township, where he established his home after his marriage and where he spent the rest of his life, coming to be recognized as one of the leading farmers in that part of the county. Mr. Fowhl was a Republican and ever gave a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but was not a seeker after public office. Fraternally, he was affiliated with the Urbana lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and took a warm interest in the affairs of that popular organization. He was a meniber of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is his widow, and gave proper atten- tion to church work and other neighborhood good works, ever willing to add the weight of his influence to the promotion of such movements as were designed to advance the common welfare in any way.
It was in 1875 that John A. Fowhl was united in marriage to Margaret Henry, who also was born in York county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Samuel and Mary Henry, natives of that same state, who spent all their lives there. Mrs. Fowhl is the only member of her family who is a resident of Champaign county. Her husband died on May 20, 1912, and in the fall of that same year she left her home on the farm and moved to Urbana, where she has since resided and where she is very pleasantly situated. She takes an active interest in church work and is warmly devoted to community welfare work.
JAMES DALLAS WOODBURN.
One of the painstaking farmers of Urbana township, Champaign county, is James Dallas Woodburn, who was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 14, 1855. He is a son of John and Nancy Jane ( Dallas) Woodburn, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Champaign county, Ohio. She was a daughter of one of the pioneer fam- ilies of Urbana township and here she grew to womanhood and was mar- ried, but not long thereafter she removed with her husband to Pennsyl- vania. They remained there only a short time, returning to Champaign county, locating in Union township, near Mutual, where John Woodburn engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1859. Afterward his widow moved to Urbana township and made her home with her father. Judge James Dallas (her mother, Isabelle (Sprote) Dallas, having died before this), who came to Champaign county about the year 1810, locating in the wilderness, from which they carved out a farm on which they made
JAMES D. WOODBURN
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their future home. In 1847 Mr. Dallas was appointed by the state Legis- lature to serve as associate judges in Champaign county, and he discharged the duties of this office in an able and satisfactory manner for a period of seven years. He also served as county commissioner for a number of years. He was largely instrumental in moving the court house from the public square in Urbana to its present appropriate site. He helped build the state road from Cincinnati to Cleveland. He was one of the most popular men of the county in his day and generation and did much for the general wel- fare of the same, especially along material and civic lines.
Three children were born to John Woodburn and wife, James D., of this sketch, being the eldest; John L., living in Urbana township, and Mar- garet Ellen, who died in 1878.
James D. Woodburn grew to manhood on the home farm and received his education in the district schools of his township. He remained at home, assisting with the general work on the farm, until, in partnership with his brother, John L., he began farming for himself on a place of sixty-five acres, which they purchased; also rented a large acreage. They continued to farm in partnership until 1901. They had been very successful and became well known all over the county on account of the excellent quality of the seed corn they raised, known as the Woodburn corn, which is still very exten- sively used in northwestern Ohio. They were both men of progressive ideas along agricultural lines. Upon dissolving partnership they each secured farms of their own. James D. Woodburn is now owner of one of the choicest farms of his township, consisting of three hundred and thirty acres, most of which lies in the Mad River valley. It is under a fine state of improvement and cultivation. He carries on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. He has also fed large numbers of cattle and hogs for the market annually. He has a comfortable home in the midst of attractive surroundings and substantial outbuildings.
Mr. Woodburn was married in 1881 to Amanda E. Dickinson, a daugh- ter of Duncan and Julia (Carpenter) Dickinson, and to their union five children have been born, namely: Lemuel Ansel, now working in the Cham- paign National Bank at Urbana: Eva C., at home; Grace, Sarah and Robert. all deceased.
Politically, Mr. Woodburn is a Republican and was formerly a mem- ber of the local school board. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was at one time a steward, and has long been active in church affairs.
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RICHARD S. PEARCE.
Richard S. Pearce, agent for the Ohio Fuel Supply Company of Urbana and former treasurer of Champaign county, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm a few miles east of the city of Urbana on August 31, 1846, son of Harvey C. and Beulah (Barrett) Pearce, the former of whom was the second child born in the vicinity of the present site of the city of Urbana and the latter of whom was a daughter of Capt. Abner Barrett, one of the most prominent pioneers of this county and further and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume.
Harvey C. Pearce was born on a pioneer farm covering the site of the present city of Urbana, January 20, 1805, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Collins) Pearce, who had come up from Kentucky and had settled there in the summer of 1801, among the very first settlers of the region now com- prised within the boundaries of Champaign county. Thomas Pearce, who was a soldier of the patriot army during the Revolutionary War, was born in the City of New York on January 1, 1745, and on January 1, 1768, mar- ried Mary Barnes, who bore him ten children, Joseph, Lewis, Elizabeth, Thomas, James, John, Jane, Jesse, Mary and Andrew. He made his home in Frederick county, Maryland, and served as a member of the regiment from that county in the army of General Washington during the War of Indepen- dence and was present with that army at the surrender of General Cornwallis on October 19, 1781. Some time after the close of the war his first wife died and on July 7, 1799, he married Elizabeth Collins, who bore him seven children, William, Milton, Harvey C., Clarissa, Wesley, Rhuey and Sarah. In the meantime he had moved from Maryland to Kentucky and after a residence of several years in the latter state, came up into Ohio (in 1801) and settled on land now occupied by the city of Urbana, erecting there a house and establishing his home. That house, which stood about where the present City Building stands, was the first house built in Urbana and in the same, in 1803, was born Milton Pearce, the first child born there, the second child born in that vicinity being Harvey C. Pearce, father of the subject of this sketch, who was born in a house which Thomas Pearce built on what is now known as the Kenaga farm, just east of the city, in the- summer and fall of 1803. On this latter place Thomas Pearce spent the rest of his life, becoming one of the substantial and useful pioneers of that section and a strong factor in the bringing about of proper social and economic conditions
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in that then new country. Before moving to his second place he had cleared a field on his first settlement, including the present Monument Square and the business section of the city of Urbana and had there raised some Indian corn and potatoes; it thus being undisputed that to this old Revolutionary soldier and stout-hearted pioneer belongs the honor of having been the first settler of what is now the populous and thriving county seat of Champaign county.
On the pioneer farm just east of the city Harvey C. Pearce grew to manhood, living there until his marriage on March 24. 1831, to Beulah Barrett, who was born in that same township in August, 1809, a daughter of Capt. Abner Barrett and wife, who were among the earliest and -most influential pioneers of this county. After his marriage he began farming on his own account on a farm some miles east of the city and there remained, engaged in farming and stock raising until 1863, when he sold his farm and moved to Urbana, where he engaged in the shoe business and was thus quite successfully engaged until 1870, in which year he and his eldest son, Dr. H. C. Pearce, bought a farm and after that he gave his chief attention to the farm, though continuing to make his home in Urbana, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there on July 11, 1891, he then being in the eighty-seventh year of his age. His wife had preceded him to the grave some years. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four survived to mourn their father's departure, the subject of this sketch and his three brothers, Dr. H. C. Pearce, Dr. A. B. Pearce and J. W. Pearce. A local newspaper said of Harvey C. Pearce after his death in 1891 that "his kind and generous nature made it hard for him to refuse any request for aid or assistance and as a result he suffered many heavy financial losses by going security for those in whom he had the greatest confidence. He had a great ambition to see his children educated and to assist them in getting an educa- tion, but he was prevented from doing what he most desired by the financial reverses that came upon him from time to time by the payment of security debts. Notwithstanding his reverses he never got sour in his disposition nor did he lose his interest in the affairs of state, the church or the public schools. In all of these he took an active part. He was converted at a camp meeting held at Mechanicsburg nearly sixty-six years ago; at this meeting his sister, Clarissa, who is the only surviving member of a family- of seventeen chil- dren, and who was permitted to be present at his funeral, was converted, as was also his sister Hester Shyrigh. He often referred to his sister Clarissa and to sister Shyrigh as his twin sisters. For nearly fifty years he was a
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